Published: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 6:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 6:10 p.m.

In other words, when you meddle in other people’s affairs, all those people will oppose and hate you.

Take Egypt as a current example.

Three years ago, the United States was very overtly active in assisting in the overthrow of the brutal Mubarak dictatorial government.

The overthrow led to free and open elections to install a democratic system and a president.

The Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian political party heretofore banned in Egypt, won.

The Brotherhood regime turned out to be as brutal as Mubarak so the Egyptian army — the real power in Egypt — turned them out, installed a president and is promising new elections.

The United States is now trying to get the Egyptian army to go easy on the Muslim Brotherhood and release the brotherhood prisoners it is holding.

The only stick the U.S. holds is the $1.3 billion in aid that we give directly to the Egyptian army. (The Egyptian army generals are the richest people in Egypt. Can you spell c-o-r-r-u-p-t?)

The Egyptian army and a majority of the Egyptian people are telling the U.S. to “shut up and butt out;” for they know that Egypt is the United States’ major ally in the Middle East and the buffer between the other Muslim nations and Israel.

In other words, the United States can’t do without them.

The Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters feel betrayed by the United States.

They are saying, “Look, we did what you wanted and when the stuff hit the fan, you deserted us.”

So now even though Egyptians are fighting among themselves, all Egyptians are fighting us.

Well, we did achieve internal solidarity in Egypt, didn’t we.

Have you looked on the map at where our embassies were forced to close due to possible terrorist attacks?

The closures are across all of North Africa and the Arab peninsula — Algeria, Tunisa, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, Bangladesh.

Do those names ring a bell?

All countries where we have stuck our nose in — and gotten it cut off.

The United States always plays the martyr.

We act like, “Woe is me, how could you do that to us?”

The answer is and has always been, “Because we told you to butt out and you didn’t.”

In no way are the extreme acts of terror against us justified.

But on the other hand, we are dealing with a culture whose history of violent responses has always been extreme.

So what should we have expected and what should we expect?

The United States has not realized that we cannot remake the world in our image.

We are catching hell trying to make America into our image.

Countries and people get the government that fits them.

And there are a lot of factors that go into what fits: history, geography, topography, religion, literacy, wealth, language and many others.

Rather than force change or even suggest change, maybe we ought to try being an example that encourages the desire to change.

Might as well give it a try, the other way is only getting us killed.

Charles Mosley, a former head of the Lafourche NAACP, lives in Thibodaux. Email him at charlesmosley3@hotmail.com.

<p>Dear Mr. President and Congress, repeat after me: “External hostility brings internal solidarity.”</p><p>In other words, when you meddle in other people's affairs, all those people will oppose and hate you.</p><p>Take Egypt as a current example.</p><p>Three years ago, the United States was very overtly active in assisting in the overthrow of the brutal Mubarak dictatorial government.</p><p>The overthrow led to free and open elections to install a democratic system and a president.</p><p>The Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian political party heretofore banned in Egypt, won.</p><p>The Brotherhood regime turned out to be as brutal as Mubarak so the Egyptian army — the real power in Egypt — turned them out, installed a president and is promising new elections.</p><p>The United States is now trying to get the Egyptian army to go easy on the Muslim Brotherhood and release the brotherhood prisoners it is holding.</p><p>The only stick the U.S. holds is the $1.3 billion in aid that we give directly to the Egyptian army. (The Egyptian army generals are the richest people in Egypt. Can you spell c-o-r-r-u-p-t?)</p><p>The Egyptian army and a majority of the Egyptian people are telling the U.S. to “shut up and butt out;” for they know that Egypt is the United States' major ally in the Middle East and the buffer between the other Muslim nations and Israel.</p><p>In other words, the United States can't do without them.</p><p>The Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters feel betrayed by the United States.</p><p>They are saying, “Look, we did what you wanted and when the stuff hit the fan, you deserted us.”</p><p> So now even though Egyptians are fighting among themselves, all Egyptians are fighting us.</p><p>Well, we did achieve internal solidarity in Egypt, didn't we.</p><p>Have you looked on the map at where our embassies were forced to close due to possible terrorist attacks?</p><p>The closures are across all of North Africa and the Arab peninsula — Algeria, Tunisa, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, Bangladesh.</p><p>Do those names ring a bell?</p><p>All countries where we have stuck our nose in — and gotten it cut off. </p><p>The United States always plays the martyr.</p><p>We act like, “Woe is me, how could you do that to us?”</p><p> The answer is and has always been, “Because we told you to butt out and you didn't.”</p><p>In no way are the extreme acts of terror against us justified.</p><p>But on the other hand, we are dealing with a culture whose history of violent responses has always been extreme.</p><p>So what should we have expected and what should we expect?</p><p>The United States has not realized that we cannot remake the world in our image.</p><p>We are catching hell trying to make America into our image.</p><p>Countries and people get the government that fits them.</p><p>And there are a lot of factors that go into what fits: history, geography, topography, religion, literacy, wealth, language and many others.</p><p>Rather than force change or even suggest change, maybe we ought to try being an example that encourages the desire to change.</p><p>Might as well give it a try, the other way is only getting us killed.</p><p>Charles Mosley, a former head of the Lafourche NAACP, lives in Thibodaux. Email him at charlesmosley3@hotmail.com.</p>